


Metamodernity

by NicoMinecraftMan



Category: Minecraft (Video Game)
Genre: Best Friends, Domestic Fluff, England (Country), Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Gay, LGBTQ Character, M/M, Mental Health Issues, Real Life, Shipping, Slow Burn, dreamnotfound
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-17
Updated: 2020-11-22
Packaged: 2021-03-09 18:15:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 6,760
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27600557
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NicoMinecraftMan/pseuds/NicoMinecraftMan
Summary: Dream has been struggling with his image for a while. Constantly fearing for himself as he's surrounded by people who don't know who he is with the overwhelming urge to believe they do know who he is. In need of an escape he turns to one of his bestfriends to help him through his though time. Has some mental health mentions but it will more then likely be a soft friends to lovers little story :D Title from the song Metamodernity- Vansire
Relationships: Clay | Dream & GeorgeNotFound (Video Blogging RPF), Clay | Dream/GeorgeNotFound
Comments: 12
Kudos: 84





	1. Chapter 1

Dream had had enough. The pressure of having the world's eyes on him, over analyzing every move he’s made, every word he’s said, and every tweet he had made, had finally begun to grate and shave him down to nothing but a pea sized version of himself. Playing games wasn’t just playing games anymore, it was a test of his mental strength to continue saying what people wanted and tip toeing around situations planted with pitfalls and misunderstandings. Every hello he said had slowly become more mundane, more hollow, more strained, until eventually his will to stream had been stolen from him.

It was because of this never-ending pressure he had finally decided to do something he had faked a year before. It was why he was headed to a place he had never been, where he had no chance of being found, exposed, and torn apart. Where no one would hold him on a pedestal granted to him all too quickly. It was an escape from a prison he had created for himself.

The bustling life around him was something he had always felt disconnected from. He masqueraded as Clay, the guy next door who didn’t finish high school and who people rarely saw, when in reality he was someone with millions behind him, supporting him, praising him for every move he makes. The difference was not something that you can just bounce back from. It was enough of a difference, in his eyes, to make him reflect on the people around him. Every once in a while, he’d see someone in his merch walk by, or someone who he’d recognized from a twitter icon, and he’d simply think to himself, “would they still follow me, watch me, be invested in me if they simply knew how I look”.

Thus, the pressure increased, the questions continued, and he was grated further and further down. Who could have ever guessed this was what his faceless persona and his unprecedented success would bring to him?

Nonetheless, he sat waiting for his flight to be called. To look down at the city he had called home from the top down until it disappeared from his sight. To watch his obligations slip through his fingers and feel the pressure built up inside him subside for a mere moment. He wanted to see the small world he had built for himself shatter so upon return he could rebuild it from the ground up, protecting himself from the burn out and pain coming for him around every corner.

When Dream’s flight was called over the intercom, he jumped. It was so easy for him to get trapped in his mind, going over everything he had done and how he could fix it that he could do it for hours before realizing he was once again a prisoner to his own mind. He waited in line to board, but he was overly nervous, as per usual, fidgeting with his hands as he waited. This habit hadn’t existed before he hit it big, but his general distrust in the world around him had grown through the doxing attempts. In the small amount of time between him in the boarding area to him actually boarding, the fear that everyone knew who he was ate him up. It was never like this before.

Before he knew it, the plane took off. And the cold glass separating him from the world outside took on a sad yet hopeful symbol. A chance to change himself. A chance to fix himself.

This was all he wanted anymore, as his city faded away below a layer of clouds and the lights that had taunted him for so long dimmed into darkness, he held onto this belief with nothing but hope guiding him.


	2. Chapter 2

He could hardly remember the flight. It was merely a bunch of statements to a flight attendant between stretches of sleep and worry. The 10 hours felt like nothing more than a blink of an eye, which was better than he could have ever hoped for. Rather than continue to dwell on his dwindling mental health, however, Dream had decided that the moment he set foot off the plane, he would try and take away, bit by bit, the paranoia that had built up in his head and learned to drag him like a dog on a leash.

England had presented itself just as he thought it would. A vaguely familiar landscape of people with brands he couldn’t recognize and where his accent was the exotic one if he were to open his mouth. Instead of speaking however, his eyes scanned the chaotic airport at his destination, searching longingly for his long-time friend. One of two people granted the knowledge of where Dream was headed, and where he would be in his league of absence. Upon seeing George, he had the overwhelming urge to sneak behind the short man and scare him just to hear the iconic scream he had heard over a call for so long in person, but instead refrained from the rather funny plan (in his own head) in favor of simply walking up to him.

Of course, the feeling everyone somehow knew who he was hadn’t left him. In fact, its presence in his mind was overbearing, pressing down on him with more and more pressure with every step, but in the same vein being alone in his home gave him time to breath, approaching George gave him the ability to drown the voice in his head feeding him lies. It had been a while since the sound was drowned out. Since the overwhelming sounds around him had silenced slightly. It hadn’t taken that long for George to notice Dream walking towards him, and upon seeing the 6’2” blonde boy, he lit up like a kid in a candy store, waving his hands above his head.

After exchanging a hug upon seeing each other, the two made it out of the airport into the cold London air. It was a cold Dream had not experienced before, filling his lungs with a sharp coldness as soon as they left the airport. The cold breath in his lungs made him aware, for once, that he had relaxed his muscles from an intense tenseness and had breathed deeply after long stretches of holding it. This did not go unnoticed on George’s behalf as he looked at Dream with empathetic eyes.

“You alright Dream, you didn’t look to pog back there” George asked, completely seriously. Dream couldn’t help but laugh a bit, he had never heard someone so concerned say the word “pog” quite like that.

“Yeah I’m good. Just a bit worried you know” Dream chuckled, hitting his friend playfully on the arm, but George’s concerned look hardly changed.

“Listen mate, I know you aren’t exactly a fan of being emotional, and I don’t blame you, but if you ever need to talk, I’m here for that exact reason you know” George said with care, moving the conversation from the state of Dream to some nonsensical conversation like they have always had. Despite the change in conversation, however, Dream was stuck on the care George had shown him, something he had heard over a team speak call but rarely in person. It was different. In a call he couldn’t see the look in his eyes, he couldn’t see the body language screaming “you’re safe with me, for once”, he had never been taken from his head to the world in a fashion he enjoyed quite as much. Despite the cold chilling him to the bone, despite the unfamiliar landscape that surrounded him, Dream had the overwhelming feeling he was warm and safe with George.

No matter how he felt though, the actual cold was something he couldn’t ignore.

“Bro it’s so freaking cold, I was not prepared for this” Dream murmured.

“I told you to bring a jacket, but nooo who wouldn’t listen to George when he was right. Don’t worry bro, I figured this would happen” George bounced back, taking a backpack off his back and rummaging through it until he pulled out a hoodie branded with his logo, smiling ear to ear as he handed it to Dream.

“George”

“What did you expect” George giggled back, watching Dream, the man with an ego as large as the ocean, accept defeat and slip the hoodie over his tall figure. In all fairness, the hoodie was quite comfy, but being the absolute Leo he is, Dream acted as if he hated it the whole way back.

It was strange. Dream had spent so long thinking everyone who laid eyes on him hated him; he had forgotten the simple kindness a friend as good as George could provide. Although strange, it was also quite refreshing. Something he was longing for although completely unaware he desired it.

The rest of their walk was filled with warm banter and shared laughs, watching their breath appear and disappear with every word spoken. It felt as if for the first time in a long time, Dream was happy to be out of the shell of his home. A sensation he was sure had left.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just more filler, you know the slow burn grind :D Thank you very much for taking the time to read this!

When they entered George’s flat, they were both hit with the heat immediately, sending semi painful tingles through Dream's hands causing him to shake them out after closing the door. George's flat was oddly cleaner than he’d expected, and very much cleaner than his own home. Everything was certainly in the place it was supposed to be with minor areas spotted with papers and bills.

“Take your shoes off before walking in, the mud is impossible to clean” George said, making a beeline to a kettle on the counter.

“I never took you for the clean type” Dream responded.

“Well I sure hope you’d clean your house before I came over” 

Dream muttered a yeah while taking his shoes off, looking around at the area around him, taking note of all the little trinkets spread around the room. George’s dog, who had previously been unseen, bounded into the living room, wagging its whole body as it approached George, not even realizing that Dream was there. George stopped what he was setting up to mess with the dog, petting it excitedly whilst calling them a good boy. Dream couldn’t help but laugh as he watched. 

“What, you never seen a man love his dog Dream?” George bounced back. Moving from petting the dog back to whatever drink he was making. At this point, the dog had noticed Dream standing in the doorway and bounded towards him circling him once before pouncing on him. Dream laughed as he pet the over excited dog, making sure to treasure this moment as much as possible.

“Nah man, you got me all wrong” Dream said as the dog licked his hand. A soft beep went off in the room, as George poured water from the kettle into two cups alongside some sort of teabag, making the room smell heavily of cinnamon and apples. “What are you making anyway”

“Don’t be so impatient Dream” George giggled, putting stress on Dream’s name. “Sit down my guy, you just standing there is kind of stalkerish”

Dream stuck his tongue out at George as he made his way to the couch. The house smelt of cinnamon, even before George began making the drinks, and the heat helped make the flat feel homely, perhaps even more homely then Dreams own home. Upon sitting down, Dream was suddenly aware of the hoodie he had on once again, feeling the soft fabric before reluctantly taking it off, folding it in his hands.

“Thanks for lending the hoodie, but where do you want it man” Dream asked the busy George who was all too preoccupied fluttering around his kitchen.

“Keep it, it was too big for me anyway” George offhandedly said, pulling out a bottle of honey from a high shelf in a cabinet, adding a large amount to the glasses. After stirring the glasses thoroughly, George excitedly grabbed one and handed it to Dream, “It’s super sweet, but I promise you it’s the best thing I’ve ever made”

One sip of the drink and Dream already knew it was extremely too sweet, but whether it was out of decency or sheer ego, Dream in the moment decided he would somehow drink the whole glass of the warm drink given to him. Whilst this small hero’s journey was taking place, George excitedly went to a chair adjacent to the couch and sat facing Dream.

“So. You never told me exactly why you wanted to finally see me in person” George asked quizzically, taking an overdramatic and drawn out sip of his drink.

Caught between telling the truth or making up a lie, Dream simply chuckled at stated “I just needed a break from Florida. Was way too humid”.

“Then why not go to Texas to see Sap, it would have been a lot easier to drive there then to fly here”

This was the statement Dream was most afraid to hear. Him and Sapnap had been conjoined at the hip for years, even before meeting George, and in all honesty, Dream didn’t know why being with George felt like the right escape from the world he’d been trapped in or why out of all the places he could have been, he chosen Brighton in the bitter cold of winter. The only thing Dream knew for sure, somehow, was that he had made the right choice.

After thinking about which answer to give for a moment, Dream answered “It’s too hot there, I need to freeze for once you know” before taking another drink of his sickly-sweet drink. Although the sugar in the tea was overwhelming, the drink was actually quite good, and before he knew it, the glass was empty, and Dream had forgotten the bitter cold world outside. To Dream, this was the first time he had felt completely at home, talking endlessly to the brown eyed brit about anything that came to mind, laughing endlessly together.

Laughing over a call was in no way equal to seeing the smile not only on his face but his body language; the little movements the over animated George made were all well documented in Dream’s mind as they chatted, no matter how jet lagged he was.

“Well, it’s quite late and wittle baby Dream probably needs to know where he’s sleeping” George said mockingly, grabbing Dreams cup out of his hand and carrying it over to the sink. Dream couldn’t help but notice that no matter how warm the house was, George’s hand was slightly warmer than the air around it.

Dream stood up and stretched his large body out before walking over to George, the overwhelming feeling of tiredness finally begging to wash over every fiber within him.

“Times a social construct” Dream yawned, stretching his arms out.

“You’re a construct” George quipped back “either way your face screams ‘let me sleep right now’”

“Oh, don’t you just love looking at my face”

“Quit it, or I’ll never speak again”

“We both know that wouldn’t work” Dream said, both of them giggling like teenage girls.

“Alright for real this time, let me show me where you're staying” George said cheerfully, leading Dream down the one hallway in the flat, pointing out the bathroom and his room as they walked.

After saying his final goodnight to George, Dream finally took off his apparently severely under packed backpack and plopped down back first on the bed, the smell of cinnamon and the warmth from the house overwhelmed him on the plain, albeit comfortable, bedding. It was at this moment it finally hit him. He was thousands of miles away from home, in a country he knew nothing about, all to be with George. All to find himself again. All to finally see the fear and sadness drain from his body. Dream was usually honest with himself. When there was a problem, he followed his gut, when he’d see himself begin to slip, he would be the first person to notice. Despite the warmness of the room, and the homeliness of the flat, Dream couldn’t help but feel that the honesty he’d once been so proud of was slipping away from him slowly.

Wrapped in Georges blanket, in Georges flat, Dream drifted to sleep in the clothes he had worn through the flight, exhausted and in desperate need of a break.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dream dream time! Thanks so so much for reading :D

The sweet song of sleep was hardly one Dream had come to like. Paranoia and fear tend to be realized when the only reality you exist in is your head. This night began as hardly an exception. Despite knowing how safe he was in reality, knowing that in a moment’s notice he could cross the hall and laugh with George, knowing that there was no expectation for him to be something bigger than himself, he still fell deeper and deeper into fear, falling endlessly.

Some nights his dreams would be him standing in the middle of a large crowd of rabid fans who are viciously trying to get at him, other times he’s in a dark room hopelessly alone with someone just out of hearing range walking away. Tonight, he was in the middle of the ocean. The cold, dark water surrounded him as he fell hopelessly to the bottom, sinking quickly to the floor of the ocean, his head pounding from the immense pressure and his legs somehow unable to move. As he fell, the darkness of the world around him engulfed him, swallowing him more and more with each dreadful second. Looking up at the sky above, holy rays of light shone around him, mocking him playfully, practically screaming “your escape is mere seconds away and there is nothing you can do to get there”. Whether out of pain or fear, Dream screamed, the bubbles of carbon dioxide blinding his face as he continued to waste his precious breath, wanting nothing more than to be free from the pain he was in.

It was in that moment something that had never happened in these dreams occurred. Something he’d been so sure was completely impossible.

Something grabbed him from the water. An arm wrapped around his back, pulling him from the apparently shallow pool of water and laying the coughing man on the cold ground. Dream wiped both his eyes with his hands, feeling them burn from the salt, making everything appear in a chlorine esque haze. Once he caught his breath, he finally looked at his savior, the person to pull him from his pain, from his fear, from a shallow pool he was sure he’d drown in.

It was a thin framed brown-haired man, someone who's caring eyes were ingrained into his head. Out of all the people it could have possibly been, it was George who pulled him from the dark.

“George?” Dream asked quizzically, still trying to rub the salt from his eyes.

The dream George ran up to him, putting him into a bear hug, warm tears mixing with the cold water as he was sobbing hysterically. Dream, stuck in the rather sudden hug didn’t know how to react, but let this version of George cry on his shoulder.

“I thought you were gone” this George cried, releasing Dream from his hug, looking at him with a feeling of intense sadness.

“I didn’t know it was so shallow” Dream stammered. This was not part of the script. He was not supposed to live, and he definitely wasn’t supposed to be on the desolate white plane he was on. He turned to face the water he’d previously been unable to escape just to find the pool gone from the world, and upon turning back towards the George who saved him, he was gone.

In a single moment, Dream was once again alone.

And in that moment, for the first time in a long time. He cried.


	5. Chapter 5

Dream woke up with tears down his face. The only thought coursing through his head being  _ What the fuck did I just go through.  _ A cheesy Disney clock hung on the wall parallel to the bed reading 3:00, and judging from the light rays pouring in through the blinds, Dream assumed it was the afternoon. Wiping his face with his hand, he begrudgingly got out of the bed, his limbs sore from walking as much as they had, and pulled a new set of clothes from his bag, emerging from the dimly lit room and entering into the hallway.

George’s dog bounded towards Dream, his whole body shaking as he wagged his tail, his equally as excited owner tailing behind them.

“I knew jet lag was a thing, but man you look like shit” George laughed, “kidding of course”

“Yeah yeah I get it” Dream huffed, running his hand through his hair as he walked into the bathroom, George yelling from the other room where everything was.

The warm water running down him cleansed him not only from dirt, but from responsibilities. _This was supposed to be a break from overthinking_ Dream thought, _not a chance to overthink more_. He sighed and let himself relax as he showered, as there was a good chance the deviation from the Usual script was nothing more than a strange effect of his exhaustion.

Once thoroughly clean, he hung the towel on a hook and folded the clothes he’d worn the night before to keep the clean appearance of the house. Dream was many things, but a bad house guest was not one of them. Rejoining George in the living room of his flat, he noticed George sporting a coat and a rather nice pair of boots.

“Where you headed?” Dream asked, vaguely gesturing to the ensemble George was wearing.

“The store, you wanna tag along” George said, tying the boots up.

“Might as well” Dream responded lazily, grabbing the old pair of shoes from beside the door, easily slipping his feet into them, “apparently it’s colder than Florida, who could have guessed”

“I wonder who could have told you that” George giggled. Dream looked over to his host, but when he looked at him all he could see was the tearful expression he’d seen in the dream, the caring eyes he’d seen yesterday. He pictured the warmth of his hands and thought of the safety he felt while with him, in reality and the dream. Dream couldn’t be happier to have a friend as dear to him as George, and he hoped George held the same endearment.

The pair joked around and gave George’s dog a formal goodbye as they left, the cold air outside hitting him harshly on the nose. He was lucky enough, this time, to wear the hoodie George had given him, partially out of fondness, but mostly out of necessity; immediately putting his hands into the pocket, rubbing them together to keep warm.

“Awh poor baby Dream can’t handle a bit of cold” George quipped, locking the door to his flat behind them. 

“I’m not the one dressed like I’m on the north pole now am I” Dream responded “It never gets this cold in Florida”

“You’re just proving my point” George laughed.

As George said this, a jogger ran by them, waving to the pair as they passed, George casually waving back. In Dream’s case, however, he felt his heart begin to pound in his ears, feeling the intense need to take a deep breath to release the sudden tension in his muscles.

It was one jogger. One person who in no way could have hurt them. But it hadn’t stopped his mind from spiraling. One stranger, casually passing, had already reminded Dream why he was here at all.

Dream didn’t take the breath, and slowly allowed his muscles to relax, turning to George with a smile on his face, “lead the way”

George happily came to Dreams side and continued to walk down the street, bantering back and forth. When they talked with each other it was easier for Dream to not notice the people around them, instead focusing on his and George’s words, noting every hand movement George would make. It was calming, in a way, to talk to someone like George, as their animated talking gave the conversation life when compared to the rather unanimated way Dream usually talked. Their breath materialized in front of them in little clouds of vapor appearing for a moment before disappearing, and both their faces now dawned a rosier glow; Dream knew that as long as this was what he noticed he’d be fine. Instead of existing in the outside world, he simply needed to exist with George, the cold, and the vapors of breath in front of them.

This proved much harder than Dream had initially thought as they got closer to their destination. Without seeing anyone in particular, Dream had already begun to feel his heart begin to pound, but instead of attempting to hide his breath, he exhaled and shook his arms out, bouncing foot to foot.

“Dude you’re doing it again” George responded, those iconically caring eyes gazing at Dream again.

“Just a bit antsy, never been here before” Dream answered, breathily laughing as they walked, a moment of silence elapsing between the two.

“I’m not going to force it out of you, but just know I can tell” George said, averting his gaze to the ground, then forward, changing the subject to what they were going to buy.

Dream, officially, felt like shit. Where was his honesty? Why couldn’t he have just said what was up, it wasn’t like it was something he needed to hide, in fact it was likely George would understand more then anyone else he’d told. 

Maybe he just needed to see George’s eyes.

Dream quickly passed the thought over, noticing how he wasn’t nearly as nervous, and instead felt hollow, a fine advancement from his previous state, then noticing just how sad that statement was. Dream had hardly any time to reflect on it, however, as they approached the small family owned store.

As the pair walked into the mostly empty store, a bell gave a soft noise above them, and a cashier warmly greeted them. The intense smell of cleaning supplies filling the air, George waved to the girl at the register and Dream gave a half hearted hands up before they both headed down an aisle in front of them.

“You don’t have to follow me you know” George said “You are free”

“Don’t worry, if I didn’t have to follow you, I’d be three isles over” Dream responded, patting George on the shoulder.

“Right, right. Like I believe that. You’re obsessed”

“You wish”

“Yeah right” George said, picking up two cans of soup, “Are you a tomato or chicken noodle man”

They continued to walk through the aisles, bantering back and forth until a certain area caught Dreams attention. A rack of decently heavy coats lined in a row, presenting with their appearance, a moral dilemma. George was already halfway through backtracking the aisle, ready to check out the extensive grocery haul they’d picked up and would not see the coats.

He was unclear as to why this was a dilemma at all, the only coat he had now was George’s hoodie and he obviously needed one, and he wasn’t tethered endlessly to George. All he had to do was go over there and he could ditch the merch for something real. That was all.

“Did you find something?” George asked.

“Nah just saw a kid fall” Dream responded, turning around and catching up to George ahead of him.

“This generation’s biggest tragedy”

“Tell me about it”

Dream couldn’t help but notice just how comfortable the hoodie was as he walked with George, guaranteeing him warmth through the harsh and bitter cold. Protecting him from the world. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promise right now the updates are only frequent because school hasn't hit that hard. Finals are coming for me :0 When they hit updates may not be daily lolw


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading this far! Please don't be afraid to comment and tell me what I can do better! I appreciate every person who takes the time to read this more then I can convey in words.

Once the pair had walked out of the store, they were greeted, rather rudely, with a slight drizzle of rain partnered with the already cold wind. It wasn’t downpouring by any means, and their walk was hardly that long, but it was enough to make Dream severely regret his choice to overlook the coats.

“Well, do you want to go back in or do you wanna run for it?” George asked smugly, as if to challenge Dream to the latter choice. Dream, of course, took the bait without a second thought.

“If I get sick, I hope you know you’re paying,” Dream said smiling ear to ear.

“Let’s hope you don’t get sick from eating my dust,” George said playfully, immediately taking off down the sidewalk that led back to his flat, grocery bags and all. Dream laughed a bit at the situation, watching the rather out of shape George run, looking back at Dream with a wide grin before sprinting forward.

Dream took a deep breath before he began running, noting how empty the streets were as the minuscule drizzle fell, and how excited George looked looking back at him as they ran together. He couldn’t help but to laugh, just as much as he couldn’t help but feel the cold wind and water hit his face as he and his best friend ran through a city he had not been to prior. It was movie-esque, for a moment the tension, worries, pressure, lies, hatred, and fear ceased to exist, left behind with the drops of water hitting the ground. It felt like a scene ripped from a coming of age movie, ignoring the world to exist in the moment.

The rain, naturally, only got harder, but so did the pair’s laughing, Dream catching up to the winded George rather easily, running slightly behind him. The puddles of water forming were nothing more than obstacles, George making an effort to run through as many of them as possible, kicking water up at Dream until eventually slowing his pace.

“What’s up Georgie, little out of shape” Dream said between breaths, slowing down with the man despite not necessarily needing to.

“I was just so far ahead of you I felt bad,” George said, panting dramatically.

“For sure bud, and I can totally feel my hands” Dream quipped back as the pair stopped their running, rain falling down around them as they both took a moment to catch their breath, George with his hands on his knees. They didn’t speak for a second, the only sounds being the rain hitting the concrete or leaves of trees and the sounds of cars driving by. The cold air hit them both in the face like a whip, but neither of them were worried in the moment.

Dream wanted to exist in this forever. Standing here, happily for once. His friend laughing between breaths as the rhythmic sounds of rain and wind told more of a conversation then either of them. He thought of his dream for a moment, him soaking wet, much like he was now, locked in a warm embrace with one of his closest companions, their face buried in his arm, their strangely warm hands on his back. The look of compassion in his eyes as he hugged him.

The knowledge that someone in the world cared about him more than he cared about himself.

Dream was unsure as to why in this moment of vulnerability he was thinking of just that moment. Why he so badly wanted to feel it here and now, and why his face had begun burning quite like it was. Shaking his head out, Dream watched the water droplets fall from his hair and join the rain on the ground, he was not going to let some stupid dream ruin this moment for him. Within the second, George finally stood back up, using his hand to wipe his face, giving his hair an almost slicked back look.

“Maybe next time we get the umbrellas, yeah” Dream said, hitting his friend on the back twice, using this moment to take his mind off of whatever the hell he was thinking before.

“You were the one who agreed” George said, taking one last deep breath before finally stabilizing his breathing, Dream noticing his chest rising and falling as his breath slowed.

“I think I'll take these” Dream said, picking the groceries off the ground, “You’re lucky you didn’t drop these bad boys sooner”

“To be honest I didn’t even remember I had them”

“I figured” Dream replied, putting the bags in a backpack he was suddenly grateful for grabbing.

The two quickly maneuvered through the rest of their path, both equally soaked to the bone, but both thoroughly happy, smiling as they walked. The cold was still surely there, and the rain was still falling, if not getting harder, but between the two of them, it was as if neither was there.

It was so easy to forget everything in the moment and allow it to simply disappear. It was a reason to ignore an irregular heartbeat. A reason to ignore strange urges to embrace your friends tightly just to feel their small frame against yours.

Once the duo had reached the door to the flat, George was shaking intensely from the cold, and Dream was hardly doing much better. Dream watched as George attempted to put the key in the lock, his hands shaking causing him to miss the lock as he fumbled with the key.

“Need some help” Dream asked, staring at the thin boy’s hand.

“Just a bit,” George said with a shy laugh, turning around and giving the key to Dream. Despite being equally as cold, Dream was not nearly as shaky, and was easily able to slip the key in and unlock the door, a warm wave of heat washing over him as well as the familiar smell of cinnamon flooding his nose, an excited dog standing by the door, running in circles as they walked in. Once both inside and shoeless, George beelined to the bathroom for some towels, giving Dream a chance to look closer around the living room.

Dream had especially wanted to get a closer look at the pictures hung on the wall (whether out of curiosity or a chance for blackmail, even Dream didn’t know). In the first picture Dream chose to look at, George was with his family, smiling together. George was a bit younger in this picture, and quite possibly scrawnier, but his smile hadn’t seemed to age a day. The next was a generic picture of a tree with the frame’s dimensions in the corner, something more akin to what Dream had expected. The final picture he glanced at, however, was of George with a kitten sitting delicately in his lap, looking at the small being with a sense of wonder. He was much younger here, perhaps in his early teens if not late childhood, but the awestruck eyes that looked at the kitten had stayed with him now in his early adulthood.

Those were the eyes that without word, managed to bring comfort to Dream. They were the same hands that could wrap around his waist, pulling Dream closer into a safe embrace. The same head that could rest on Dream’s chest, feeling his breath rise and fall.

And it was with the second time the thought occurred, blood rushing to his red-hot face once again, that Dream thought maybe something was brewing within his hardened heart. 


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy funky monkey Sunday haha. I'm excited to continue working on this project :]

Dream hardly had any time to develop this thought in the moment as a soft fabric towel was soon tossed over his head, blinding his vision accompanied sweetly by a soft laugh from George, Dream noting how George truly had a childish sense of wonder and humor about him. He ruffled his wet hair with the towel before pulling it off of his head rather dramatically, trying not to smile as he turned back to the brown-eyed boy.

“Bro what the hell” Dream giggled with a half-smile, seeing George smiling immensely at his accomplishment.

“I’m quite possibly the funniest person alive” George chirped back, rather proud of his not so difficult accomplishment. 

Looking at George, Dream found it slightly strange to see him in full. He was finally able to see the short George in slightly large basketball shorts paired with a much larger t-shirt; The contrast between his tousled wet hair and perfectly dry clothes being something Dream was notably drawn to. It was almost overwhelming. He had spent years talking, joking, and playing games with this thin framed man, yet he'd gotten so used to only seeing him from the chest up. Whether in a call or when watching his buddy stream, he was defined by the iconic chest up face cam. It felt like adding the second half was something he wasn’t supposed to see. Something sacred he’d laid his eyes upon. 

“Well, are you just going to let your clothes air dry or are you gonna change” George asked, looking the soaked dream up and down.

Bashfully, Dream looked at the ground. When he said he had under packed, he wasn’t playing it down, knowing fully he’d brought nothing more then the bare minimum to save himself money and space. “I would if I could Georgie, I would if I could”

“I Figured the man who didn’t bring a coat in winter would also not prepare for rain,” George said, running down the hall and back, tossing a shirt up at Dream. “You’re lucky I buy big or you’d be straight out of luck”

Dream nodded, thanking George before going into the guest room to change, towel and newly acquired shirt in hand. Almost as soon as the door closed Dream fell face first onto the bed and thought. He did have other clothes he could put on; in fact, he had taken a moment to lay them out before leaving, each pile now staring at him all he’d have to do is wear the same shirt twice. But something about not wearing George’s shirt felt wrong. It was almost like a compulsion, something he couldn’t control. The universe’s unforgiving hand continuing to push Dream endlessly. 

Water had seeped through the hoodie down to the shirt, causing his shirt to be equally as soaked, providing a small amount of coldness despite the house itself being warm. With their removal, the room suddenly felt unbearably hot despite nothing else changing. Dream unfolded the shirt, a bands logo stood faded in the dead center, repping a band he was unsure if George had even seen. Without thinking, Dream held the shirt to his face, inhaling the fabric, the scent of cologne presenting itself as overwhelming despite how faint it truly was. Taking a moment to work up to actually putting the shirt on, it ended up fitting his frame fine, but leaving him wondering not only why the room was quickly rising in temperature, but why exactly George had a shirt this large in his possession.

It shouldn’t have been this hard to simply put a shirt on. It should have been a one and done scenario. But it simply was not. In fact, this scenario was one Dream had experienced before. He was easily able to identify the heat he felt and the reason his mind kept diverging to those types of thoughts, as he had felt it many times before. He knew why putting the shirt on was suddenly the hardest thing he'd ever had to do

He was simply not ready to admit it.

With this one thought his heart began to pound in his ears, his face burning up faster then it had before. There was no mirror in the room, but Dream didn’t need it to realize his face was absolutely red. 

He was in love with someone two days after seeing them in person. After years of hearing his voice, his laugh, seeing him grow alongside himself, in the end it was a simple two day stretch to get him here. Dream was never a hopeless romantic, but this feeling was simply undeniable. He was in love with one of his closest friends. 

The room began spinning around Dream, desperately trying to get his heart to stop pounding so loud. It was just a shirt. He was given just a shirt. It was not the time to dig deeper into himself. The red-hot heat flowing through him from his head to his toes, sweat dripping down the side of his head.

Before realizing it, Dream’s vision began to fade to white, then moving to black. Hitting the ground with a resounding thunk. 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading! I am uncertain how frequent updates will be but lets hope somewhat


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